Forget the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate, there is a new contender. Neymar has had a ridiculously brilliant season and has served up some special stuff in the Copa America already.

It's a three-way tie at the top of world football for me now, and maybe Neymar has been up there for longer than we realise. Last summer at the World Cup was possibly the moment he arrived at that very top table to dine with the elite.

You only had to wander up the Copacabana during the tournament to see just how loved Neymar is by the Brazilian people. He is well and truly idolised. But with that love comes pressure and at the age of just 22 he carried the hopes of the nation. So no wonder he broke his back during the World Cup.

Neymar has been a star for both Barcelona and Brazil this year

Neymar takes on a number of Peru players during Brazil's opening match in the Copa America

It wasn't just the hopes of the football-mad Brazilian people that he was carrying – he had the likes of Fred and David Luiz plus a whole host of other sub-standard (by Brazilian measures) players who Luiz Felipe Scolari had picked, clambering on his back for the ride.

Neymar's performances didn't suffer – he was named in the World Cup XI at the end of the tournament. The only way Colombia could stop him was to fracture his vertebrae during the quarter-final between the two South American sides in Fortaleza, Juan Zuniga kneeing Neymar in the spine.

Zuniga apologised, but without their talisman Brazil were so useless they smashed all sorts of records for ineptitude, hammered 7-1 by Germany in the semi-final.

So in 2014-15, questions were asked: How would Neymar recover? Could he improve on a decent but unspectacular and in terms of trophies, unsuccessful first season at Barcelona? And how would he deal with the arrival at the Nou Camp of another South American superstar – Luis Suarez?

Neymar goes down after being kneed in the back by Colombia's Juan Zuniga during the World Cup

Neymar missed the semi-final against Germany with his spine injury

Neymar's ego didn't take over, he got on with the job, helped make that spectacular front three work, and won trophy after trophy. He contributed 39 goals to the trio's tally of 122, and he was joint top-scorer in the Champions League.

On top of that, he has been a joy to watch. Yes there are goals, yes he can set up his team-mates, and yes he's a winner. But he does it with tricks and style that lift him to that higher footballing ground. He's a goalscorer, a team player and an entertainer.

He seems to play well for Brazil every time I see him, and if that's not true then it is a fact that his ability takes his national side beyond where it should be. Just take a look at his highlights from the 2013 Confederations Cup – his stunning goal in the opening game against Japan after just three minutes set the tone for a tournament Neymar dominated.

Neymar teamed up with Luis Suarez (left) and Lionel Messi to help Barcelona win the Treble

The three South Americans celebrate after beating Juventus in the the Champions League final

In the final against Spain, the first defeat in 30 games for the then-European and World Champions, Neymar was outstanding again.

At the Copa America this weekend his display against Peru was ridiculously good. I'm sure the Peruvian defenders were told not to leave him unmarked in the box. But Neymar drifted into a good position, leaving his man, finding space and headed home the equaliser.

His skill halfway through the first half to draw a foul from his opponent – he flicked a ball over a Peru head and ran round his man to keep possession before being chopped in half – was sublime.

And his pass for Brazil's winning goal was one of the best threaded balls you will ever see. In his first game in Chile this summer he was effective, entertaining, and showed genius to lift Brazil to victory after they had trailed following a Luiz error.

I'm sure he would love to win a World Cup or a Copa America, but so far he has been brilliant for Brazil.

At club level he's achieved great things already (for Santos and Barca), but some won't be satisfied until he does it for several seasons in succession.

For me, the name of Neymar belongs up there with the very best playing the game right now. He joins Messi and Ronaldo when it comes to the debate about who is the best player in the world.

You can't wear the No 10 shirt for Brazil and be revered unless you really are a special player. Pele, Rivelino, Ronaldinho, Zico and Kaka have all worn that shirt with distinction. And another great Brazilian No 10, Rivaldo, said this: 'The No 10 shirts weighs on you because you know who's worn that same shirt before you. That's a lot of pressure.'